Jane Says is a song by Jane’s Addiction, written by Perry Farrell and Eric Avery in late 1985 or early 1986. It is about their friend and former roommate Jane Bainter and her struggles with drugs, life and love.
Lyrics
Jane’s Addiction version
Jane says
I’m done with Sergio
He treat me like a rag-doll
She hides
The television
Says “I don’t owe him nothing,
But if he comes back again
Tell him to wait right here for me
Or,
Try again tomorrow”
I’m gonna kick tomorrow…
I’m gonna kick tomorrow…
She get mad
Starts to cry
Take a swing man
She can’t hit!
She don’t mean no harm
She just don’t know… (don’t know, don’t know)
What else to do about it
Jane says
Have you seen my wig around?
I feel naked without it”
She knows
They all want her to go
That’s ok man
She don’t like them anyway
Jane says she’s going away to Spain
When she gets her money saved
She’s gonna start tomorrow
I’m gonna kick tomorrow…
Gonna kick tomorrow…
Jane goes
To the store at 8:00
She walks up on St. Andrew’s
She waits and gets her dinner there
She pulls her dinner from her pocket
Jane says she’s never been in love – no
She don’t know what it is
Only knows if someone wants her
I want them if they want me
I only know they want me…
She get mad
And starts to cry
Take a swing man
She can’t hit!
She don’t mean no harm
She just don’t know… (don’t know, don’t know)
What else to do about it
Jane says…
Jane says…
Nothing’s Shocking Version
Jane says
I’m done with Sergio
He treats me like a rag-doll
She hides
The television
Says “I don’t owe him nothing,
But if he comes back again
Tell him to wait right here for me
Or,
Try again tomorrow”
“I’m gonna kick tomorrow…”
“I’m gonna kick tomorrow…”
Jane says
Have you seen my wig around?
I feel naked without it”
She knows
They all want her to go
But that’s OK man
She don’t like them anyway
Jane says “I’m going away to Spain
When
I get my money saved,
Gonna start tomorrow”
“I’m gonna kick tomorrow…”
“I’m gonna kick tomorrow…”
She gets mad
And she starts to cry
She takes a swing man, but
She can’t hit!
She don’t mean no harm
She just don’t know… (don’t know, don’t know)
What else to do about it
Jane goes
To the store at eight
She walks up on St. Andrew
She waits
And gets her dinner there
She pulls her dinner
From her pocket
Jane says “I’ve never been in love – no
I don’t know what it is”
She only knows if someone wants her
“I want ’em if they want me…”
“I only know they want me…”
She gets mad
And she starts to cry
She takes a swing man, but
She can’t hit!
She don’t mean no harm
She just don’t know… (don’t know, don’t know)
What else to do about it
Jane says…
Jane says…
Music Video
In 1997, a music video was created for the live version of Jane Says that appears on the Kettle Whistle album. While the audio is from a Lollapalooza concert on July 24, 1991 at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater in Irvine, CA and features Eric Avery on bass, video footage is from their October 31, 1997 concert at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, NY featuring Flea on bass.